


Lavender Blue

by floatingpetals



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Comfort, F/M, Fluffy Ending, Lullabies, M/M, Multi, Night Terrors, Reader-Insert, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-06
Updated: 2017-12-06
Packaged: 2019-02-11 11:54:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12934743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/floatingpetals/pseuds/floatingpetals
Summary: Bucky still suffers from his nightmares, and tonight it was the worst yet.





	Lavender Blue

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this on my Tumblr with the same name. I'm just going to go in add my stories on here for everyone. Most of my work is reader insert but I might change the reader to a name on few. I'm also not a great proof reader, so I apologize for any grammatical and spelling errors. Enjoy!

The screams are what woke Y/N first. She bolted up in her bed, all fogginess from her slumber erased at the agony in the shouts. Typically, they would stop after the first few seconds, but her concern grew when they continued. Throwing the comforter off herself, she grabbed a shirt and shorts, throwing them on before bolting out the room. The screams still echoed through the halls as she ran from one end of the flat to the other. It wasn’t till she got closer that she could hear the pleads for him to wake.

Y/N stumbled into the room, her breath ragged as she took in the room. Steve kneeled on the side of Bucky’s bed, shaking the man who was still kicking and screaming in his sleep. Steve begged for him to waken, his voice cracking as he struggled to be heard over his friends tormented cries.

“Please, Buck! Wake up!” He cupped Bucky’s face, who only flinched away from the touch. “Bucky, it’s okay! You’re safe!”

Y/N moved to the opposite end of the bed, gnawing on her lip as she settled beside the thrashing soldier. She joined in the pleas, running a hand through Bucky’s hair, while the other grabbed his flesh hand. Bucky’s hand gripped hers tightly, grabbing hold to something solid as if to keep him grounded. Gently, Y/N smooth her hand against his face.

“James.” She spoke softly, “James, it’s me, Y/N. It’s just a dream. I need you to come back to me, to Steve.” Her voice was sweet, tender, and familiar to Bucky. The screams stopped, his breath still ragged as he began to wake. His eyes flew open, and he moved to bolt upright, but Y/N placed a hand on his left shoulder, keeping him in place. Bucky’s eyes were blown wide as they flickered from Steve to Y/N’s face. Chest heaving, heart pounding, he struggled to take everything in. His world was still unfocused, hard to grasp at reality. Seeing Y/N so close helped bring him back. She always did. Y/N returned to stroking his face, whispering soft words of reassurance to the man. It wasn’t until he began to relax, until his breathing stopped sounding like he ran a marathon did she turn to Steve.

Steve had sat back, watching the two quietly. He cared so much for his friend, his brother. He never thought it would get to the point where he could no longer wake him from his nightmares, to calm him from his demons. But tonight, it happened. It hurt knowing that not even he was able to help anymore.

Y/N watched the emotions flicker across Steve’s face, reaching out to brush her hand against his cheek. Steve jumped, turning his tired gaze to hers. Y/N had noticed the red beginning to take over the whites of his eyes, she saw the dark circles form under his eyes. Steve was tired, but ever loyal. He was willing to give up his well being for his friend. Y/N chest tightened at the thought. Every night since she moved to their floor, she left it to Steve to sooth Bucky’s night terrors. She wasn’t trying to be selfish, she just didn’t want to interject in something that she was not a part of. Now though, seeing both tired and broken, she wasn’t going to sit aside anymore.

“You should get some sleep.” Steve shook his head. “Steve, it’s okay.”

“No, I’m not leaving him.” His tone was firm, and even though he was exhausted, he was still going to remain. Y/N sighed, knowing there was no way she’d persuade him to go to sleep anytime soon. She’d deal with him later. Turning her attention back to Bucky, she brushed his sweaty hair from his face. His eyes had slipped closed as he tried to calm himself, and the touch startled him.

“Sorry.” Y/N apologized, redrawing her hand. Bucky turned his face into her palm, nuzzling into her touch.

“It’s’kay.” He mumbled, breathing in her smell. He opened his eyes, the blue looking over Y/N before flickering over to Steve. “It was bad this time, wasn’t it?”

Both Y/N and Steve sucked in air, their chest’s tightening at Bucky’s voice. They wished there was more they could do to help, to ease his pain. The therapy was going well, at least they though it was. His day to day seemed better, he seemed more relaxed than he had when he came back to New York. Clearly the nights were harder for him than they all thought.

“You wouldn’t come back to us.” Y/N said softly. Bucky clenched his eyes shut, his jaw tightening. He always feared it would come to this, that he would someday be unable to hear them through the memories. Y/N whipped a tear from his cheek, pulling him back to the room. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Bucky began to shake his head, but stopped. He thought back to his therapy sessions, how he was told that keeping things bottled up would only cause it manifest to what it was now. He never spoke of his nightmares before. They were always memories of his past, the pain he inflicted on others, and the torture he went through. Tonight, it was different though. He dreamt of them; Steve and Y/N. He watched them leave him, toss him aside, and move on. He had become too much for the both to handle and they decided enough was enough. It had felt so real to him. It was a nightmare that had become reality. It was a nightmare he needed to tell them about.

Bucky nodded slowly, and Y/N could tell they were going to be in for a long night. Knowing they’d need to get comfortable, Y/N motioned for Bucky to wait a moment. Y/N tugged him closer to her side, pulling Bucky to the side of the bed creating space between him and Steve. The two watched, confused as she climbed to the center of the bed, pilling the pillows against the headboard to lean against. Steve caught on first, settling to her left side, while Bucky quickly followed to curl up on her right. Y/N wrapped her arms around both soldiers, Bucky resting his head on her chest, while Steve buried his face into her hair. Steve blindly reached down to grab a blanket and threw it over the three of them, cocooning them in warmth.

“Alright Buck.” Y/N spoke, carding her hands through their hair. Both hummed, cherishing the comfort she brought. Bucky sucked in air, finding his courage before he began speaking. He told them about his dream, how he was scared they’d leave him behind. Once he began, he found it hard to stop, telling them all his fears, his worries. Both Steve and Y/N dragged him closer with each sentence, Y/N not caring that she was being crushed by Bucky. Bucky had curled himself practically in her lap by the time he let out everything. He told them things he never told anyone else, not even his therapist. His deepest secrets were laid out for them to know. All because he was afraid they’d leave him behind.

Steve and Y/N listened intently, their hearts breaking at each word he spoke They never knew he had these thoughts before, he never expressed his feelings to this extent. For him to think the two of them would give up on him so easily, it was incredibly upsetting. Correction, it was heartbreaking. Both reached out, Y/N running a hand through Bucky’s hair while Steve rubbed circles on his back. Bucky finished, his chest lighter now that everything was out in the open. He didn’t expect them to say anything, knowing it was a lot to process. He wasn’t expecting the gentle kiss Y/N pressed against his forehead though.

Looking up at the two, he froze at the intensity of their stares. Both had unshed tears threatening to spill, and it was all because of him. Y/N saw him began to retreat. She saw the way he moved to pull away from their cuddle. Digging into his arm, she kept him in place.

“Don’t. Don’t pull away.” Steve said, reaching up to help pull Bucky back. Bucky struggled for a moment, his mouth opening in closing as he tried to find the words. “Stop.”

“James. I don’t know where it came from or why you’d think we’d ever leave you.” Bucky snapped his head back to Y/N, ready to argue. “Let me finish. I don’t know where you go that idea. James, you mean so much to me, you mean even more to Steve. We would never, ever leave you. Steve didn’t leave you when you needed him before, and I promise you, he wouldn’t leave you now. I wouldn’t leave you either. I might not have been there from the beginning, but I know you. You’re a kind, gentle, caring man who just has a painful past. You’re trying to move on, to live your life. I know it’s hard, but you aren’t going to do this alone. I’m sorry if we led you to believe that we were getting tired of you. But know that we’re not, we never will. You mean so much to us both. Please don’t ever doubt that.”

Bucky leaned against her hand as she pulled out the knots from his hair, humming when she scratched his scalp. He mulled over her words, glancing at Steve. Steve nodded at his questioning look, smiling as he nuzzled in further into Y/N. Bucky still had his doubts, but when the two tightened their grips on him, he knew it was pointless to argue. He buried his head into her neck, breathing in deeply. He knew this wasn’t going to go away in one night, all three of them knew that, but if this could help him find peace, they would be there with him every step of the way.

They curled up at the center of the bed, Bucky having moved off Y/N just enough to alleviate the pressure on her legs. Y/N wanted to move him to the middle, but Bucky wanted her there at the middle, both holding on to her tightly. He wasn’t going to let either of them go, needing them there to support him. And they weren’t going to leave him alone.

Y/N watched the two of them fight off sleep, both for separate reasons. Bucky didn’t want to slip back into a nightmare, and Steve wanted to be stay awake until he was sure Bucky fell asleep. Neither would give in, and she was honestly too exhausted to talk them down from their stubbornness. A thought came to her mind, a memory of her younger years that always seemed to calm her before.

“My mother used to sing me a lullaby when I was younger and had nightmares.” Y/N said breaking the silence. Bucky and Steve blinked sleepily at her, tilting their heads for her to finish. Y/N giggled at their dazed expressions and continued. “I know you’re both tired, it might help. It always did for me.”

Both nodded, nestling further into her side. Y/N giggled again, missing the two smiles at the sound. She waited until they settled before singing the song from her childhood.

_Lavender’s blue, dilly, dilly, Lavender’s green,_

_When I am king, dilly, dilly, You shall be queen._

_Who told you so, dilly, dilly, who told you so?_

_‘Twas my own heart, dilly, dilly, that told me so._

Both men tilted their heads towards Y/N, stunned at the soft melodic voice that came from her mouth. Neither of them knew she could sing, especially so well. Clearly she had been holding back important information. Y/N ignored their slacked jaws and continued with the words she knew by heart.

_Call up your men, dilly, dilly, set them to work_

_Some to the plough, dilly, dilly, some to the fork,_

_Some to make hay, dilly, dilly, some to cut corn,_

_While you and I, dilly, dilly, keep ourselves warm._

Y/N glanced down at the two, who had settled back to their places against her. She smiled, noticing the way they both had melted to her side, their breathing slowing with each verse.  

_Lavender’s green, dilly, dilly, lavender’s blue,_

_If you love me, dilly, dilly, I will love you._

_Let the birds sing, dilly, dilly, And the lambs play,_

_We shall be safe, dilly, dilly, out of harm’s way._

She sang through the words, missing the sleepy exchange of looks when she sang of love. Neither spoke of it between each other, but tonight something sparked. Tomorrow, the agreed. They’d talk more about this tomorrow. Both gave into their exhaustion, for the first time in a long time finding comfort in the thought of sleep.

_I love to dance, dilly, dilly, I love to sing;_

_When I am queen, dilly, dilly, You’ll be my king._

_Who told me so, dilly, dilly, Who told me so?_

_I told myself, dilly, dilly, I told me so._

Y/N voice trailed off, smiling at the set of snores that came from both men. She continued massaging their heads, humming quietly to herself as she lulled herself to sleep. Before she could slip into a slumber, she leaned over to press a kiss against each of their heads. They unconsciously nuzzled further into her, sighing softly at the touch. Y/N settled back into the pillows, closing her eyes as she thought about what happened this past hour. They would have time to talk about everything in the morning.  


End file.
